/ ˈhɒntʃəʊ; NAmE ˈhɑːntʃoʊ/ noun
( pl. -os ) ( informal , especially NAmE ) the person who is in charge
SYN boss :
Claude is the studio's head honcho .
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WORD ORIGIN
1940s: from Japanese hanchō group leader, a term brought back to the US by servicemen stationed in Japan during the occupation following the Second World War.